Shadowed

Chapter 72

Later that night conversation was tense and there were times when I thought the silent pauses between conversations would kill me. Snuggling back against the sofa I cradled my cup of tea feeling it's heat tingle up through my fingers. My mind was restless as I glanced back towards the tree line every five minutes as if wishing that Tom would be coming back. The small trust I had in Lucas was non existent when it came to his fellow pack members, and I could already feel the anxious buzz an anticipation for tomorrow. I thought Lucas had been fairly quick to pick up on the intent behind Kales request that he let know if any unfamiliar scents appeared on the border land of our two territories. It had been the almost knowing way in which Lucas's eyes had gleamed that had me sure that he knew there was more to this request than simple security issues. It could have certainly appeared that we were insecure about our own abilities to perform basic border patrol.


Looking around the room I felt a small swell of pride at our guys; despite the cut lips and multiple bruises I'd say they had held there own very well. Even Tina to my surprise did not look too bad thought I suspected that Jace had probably been the reason and maybe even her knight in shining armour. She sat huddled in a blanket in one of the arm chairs, a red and purple bruise was forming upon her forehead and there was a nasty cut across her cheek. It didn't appear to be too deep so she would be fortunate in that it would not scar. In only a few days it would scab and begin to shrink into the thinnest white line before resolving into her soft pink skin. Tina's eyes were still puffed from crying during the day and she was looking very tired, I could see her head dropping lower and lower and her eyes struggling to stay awake. 
Jace sat across from her with a concrete scowl on his face, his hard eyes avoided looking at her and persisted in burning holes in the wall above the dining table. 


"So..." Came Mitch's quiet voice breaking the ebbing silence, a few heads turned to look at him. "We can't trust these guys can we?" 
His bright blue eyes suddenly looked very young and innocent as he looked down and began fiddling with a loose cushion thread.

"No" Calebs rough voice grumbled. In contrast to Mitch was dark and very moody; dark bags weighed beneath his hazel gaze, and the darkening stubble on his chin did nothing to hide the dark bruise along his jaw line. I couldn't withstand his gaze lately, there was something changed about him at recent which was beginning to frighten me. He was Kale's best friend and a member of this house, I shouldn't have anything to be scared of. But yet the last few days his mood has steadily become darker and darker almost in apprehension to something foreseen. Maybe it was the stress of the wolves, and what he no doubt thought the girlish drama of his offs girl friends past life.

"He could be a man of his word you know. Should judge him until you know him." Harry's ever flowing words of wisdom resulted in the air thickening with annoyance. "Maybe your right, maybe your not. I don't think Lucas is stupid, but... tomorrow night we're going to be on their territory, how many of them are there? We have the right to be on the er of caution around these wolves." Ben shrugged.


"That's not very helpful smart ass!" Growled Ryan grumpily from the sofa. "Lucas is obviously smart, but is he smart in that he can use us as allies or smart as in jump us tomorrow night while we're on his turf." 


Kale hadn't said much since we'd come inside and I was beginning to wonder if I was in trouble. I'd said a lot of things tonight and all of them had landed me and everyone else it would seem in a lot of trouble. I bit my lip, damn my sharp tongue. "Tomorrow night I say we go."


"I say we don't go. They're going to get us back for tonight, they have Tom what do they have to loose?"

"Fuck why did we get into a scrap for that guy we don't even know him!" Groaned Dan resting his head back and closing his eyes.